| ![Show Contents]() Thaw History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Scotland Early Origins of the Thaw familyThe surname Thaw was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Tassie variant has a most interesting origin. "The Tassies had long resided in Pollokshaws, and were believed to have come from Italy as refugees, and to have settled in Scotland as tanners and skinners. " 1 The name today is "a phonetic spelling of Gaelic Tamhas, 'Thomas.' The surname Taise, found in Mar in the seventeenth century, is probably another form of the name. " 2 And some of the earliest entries for the name include: Tawus M'Gillese, a tenant under the earl of Douglas in 1376, Tawis Michison who appears as a charter witness in 1415 and Taus ffrasser of Littlegarth who is mentioned in 1632. While these entries are the name as a forename, it was not until 1667 that the name was entered as a surname: William Taus, tailor in Dunkeld who died in 1667. 2 Early History of the Thaw familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thaw research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1376, 1415, 1632 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Thaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Thaw Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Taws, Taw, Tawse and others. Early Notables of the Thaw familyMore information is included under the topic Early Thaw Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Thaw familySome of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: John Tawers settled in Maryland in 1704.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Thaw (post 1700) | + |
- Harry Kendall Thaw (1871-1947), American son of son of the coal and railroad Baron William Thaw
- William Thaw Sr. (1818-1889), American businessman who made his fortune in transportation and banking
- William Thaw II (1893-1934), World War I flying ace believed to be the first American to engage in aerial combat in the war
- Abigail Thaw (b. 1965), British actress, daughter of John Thaw
- John Edward Thaw CBE (1942-2002), English stage and film actor from Longsight, Manchester, perhaps best known for his leading role as Inspector Morse (1987-1993)
- Kevin Thaw (b. 1967), British mountaineer
- Alan Thaw (1926-2007), Australian rules footballer
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Deo juvante
Motto Translation: By God’s assistance.
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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